SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - It's been about a year since the Town of Wilson held a public hearing regarding the proposed Kohler-owned golf course on tented-forest land along Lake Michigan north of Kohler-Andrae State Park.
That changed Tuesday thanks to the DNR getting involved in the process. Over 100 people attended a public hearing at UW-Sheboygan as the agency begins putting together an environmental impact statement on the proposed golf course. This came about after Kohler submitted an environmental impact report to the agency.
Eric Nitschke, the DNR’s Secretary’s Director for southeast Wisconsin, says the meeting met its intention to help the agency determine what areas to focus in its review. "What we’re truly looking for is the public feedback so that we can take their feedback and compile it for the final E-I-S document."
Several dozen people spoke at the meeting, most speaking out against the course or at least was skeptical about the plan. All provided the DNR areas where they should focus their statement on, ranging from environmental issues to business impact.
The meeting also pleased Mary Faydash, who helps lead the course-opposition group “Friends of the Black River Forest”. She hopes the DNR will do its job without agency management, who may support the golf course, influencing the outcome. "What I believe is that all the science that will be gathered around these environmental issues will compel the DNR to have to deny permitting."
Comments can still be submitted to the DNR through July 24. The DNR does not have a date set for when the E-I-S will come out for review and more public comments.